The congressional delegation from Minnesota hopes to honor Prince, the late music superstar, with one of the nation’s highest civilian honors.
Minnesota lawmakers, led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Ilhan Omar, recently introduced legislation in the U.S. House and Senate to award Prince, born Prince Rogers Nelson, a Congressional Gold Medal.
The honor has been granted 163 times since 1776, when the first medal was given to George Washington. Other recipients include Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Women Airforce Service Pilots and, more recently, police officers who worked to protect the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 attack.
“Prince is a Minnesota icon,” Ms. Omar, a Democrat, said. “I remember when I first came to America being captivated by Prince’s music and impact on the culture. He showed that it was okay to be a short, Black kid from Minneapolis and still change the world. He not only changed the arc of music history; he put Minneapolis on the map.”
Prince died at the age of 57 after an accidental fentanyl overdose in April 2016 in his Minnesota home. Born in Minneapolis, the artist was known for his pioneering artistry and sound, a hybrid of rock, funk, R&B and synth-pop. A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Prince sold more than 150 million records world-wide and received seven Grammys, seven Brit Awards, an Academy Award for “Purple Rain” and a Golden Globe, among other accolades. He’s known for hits like “Little Red Corvette,” “Kiss,” “Raspberry Beret” and “When Doves Cry.”
The bipartisan effort, backed by Minnesota’s Democratic and Republican members of Congress, requires the support of at least two-thirds of Congress. In a statement on Twitter, the Prince Estate encouraged fans to reach out to their representatives to support the honor.
Lawmakers say a Congressional Gold Medal would honor Prince’s cultural impact and artistic legacy. If awarded, the medal would be given to the Smithsonian Institution. It could be displayed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., as well as loaned elsewhere, according to the legislation.
“I was always proud to say he was from Minnesota. The world is a whole lot cooler because Prince was in it,” said Ms. Klobuchar, a Democrat. “With this legislation, we honor his memory and contributions as a composer, performer, and music innovator.”